Before Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory, major media outlets eagerly amplified his unorthodox candidacy, drawn to his entertainment value and ratings-boosting theatrics. But once he shattered political norms and defeated Hillary Clinton, the same outlets turned sharply against him, framing his presidency as a threat to democratic institutions. This stark reversal reveals how the media’s initial fascination with Trump’s “outsider” persona collided with their ideological biases once he disrupted the status quo.
### Media’s Pre-2016 Infatuation: Ratings Over Scrutiny
– : Networks like CBS openly admitted Trump’s candidacy was “damn good for business,” prioritizing spectacle over substance. His rallies received wall-to-wall coverage, while policy-focused candidates like Jeb Bush were sidelined.
– : Figures like Ellen DeGeneres, Joy Behar, and Jimmy Kimmel warmly interviewed Trump for years, laughing off his controversial remarks as harmless eccentricity. Ben Shapiro highlights clips of these interactions, noting their stark contrast to post-2016 hostility.
– : Early coverage rarely challenged Trump’s business record or policy vagueness. Harvard research shows 43% of his pre-nomination coverage was positive, treating him as a “political novelty” rather than a serious contender.
### The Pivot to “Resistance” Media
Once Trump won, outlets shifted to relentless negativity:
– : 87% of Trump’s early presidential coverage in The New York Times and Washington Post was negative, focusing on scandals like Russia collusion (later debunked) rather than policy wins like tax cuts or deregulation.
– : 80% of quoted sources in Trump-era stories were Republicans, but narratives overwhelmingly framed GOP actions as chaotic or corrupt. Meanwhile, legacy outlets downplayed Democratic controversies, such as Hunter Biden’s laptop.
– : Positive economic indicators under Trump (e.g., record-low minority unemployment) were often attributed to “Obama’s economy,” while setbacks were blamed squarely on Trump.
### Why the Media Turned
– : Trump bypassed traditional media via Twitter, undermining their role as gatekeepers. His 88 million followers allowed him to set the agenda, provoking outrage from journalists accustomed to shaping narratives.
– : Elite newsrooms, 90%+ Democrat-leaning, couldn’t reconcile Trump’s appeal to working-class voters. Rutgers researchers note this fueled dismissive terms like “basket of deplorables” seeping into reporting.
– : Post-2016, anti-Trump content drove subscriptions and clicks. The New York Times added 10 million digital subscribers by framing Trump as an existential threat, while CNN’s ratings soared during “Russiagate” speculation.
### Ben Shapiro’s Take: Hypocrisy Exposed
Shapiro’s viral montages of pre-2016 media fawning over Trump underscore the industry’s opportunism. For example:
– A 2004 View segment saw Joy Behar praising Trump’s “honesty,” while a 2016 Jimmy Kimmel interview laughed off his claims of a “rigged system”.
– Post-victory, these same hosts labeled identical rhetoric as “authoritarian,” reflecting what Shapiro calls “a tantrum over losing cultural dominance”.
### Conclusion: A Self-Inflicted Credibility Crisis
The media’s Trump-era whiplash—from cheerleading to hostility—alienated millions of Americans who saw blatant double standards. While outlets like CNN framed criticism as “holding power accountable,” their failure to similarly scrutinize Biden or Harris (e.g., Afghanistan withdrawal, border crisis) eroded public trust. As Shapiro notes, this bias fueled the rise of alternative media, leaving legacy outlets struggling to remain relevant in a polarized America.
